The present invention relates to a banking system equipped with a radio linked portable terminal, and particularly to that wherein a radio linked portable terminal is used together with an IC card for drawing or depositing electronic money from/to a bank.
The electronic purse system for settling a bank account making use of an IC card is well known, wherein the IC card is issued in advance from the bank to a customer. The customer charges the IC card with an amount by way of an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) and uses it for payment when shopping for some goods.
The electronic purse system can provide a safe and convenient settlement, since no cash need be carried about with the customer and consequently, no cash need be transferred by the armored car from the store to the bank.
Furthermore, compared to a prepaid card, for example, with which the payable amount is limitted, the IC card can be used for shopping even when the registered amount becomes to zero, by revising the amount through ten-keys provided thereon, on condition that there is left some amount to be used in the bank account of the customer.
Examples of the above electronic purse system are disclosed in Japanese patent applications laid open as Provisional Publications No. 92966/'91 and No. 94458/'93.
In the prior art disclosed in the Provisional Publication No. 92966/'91, an IC card is provided with a microcomputer chip together with a display and input-keys. After activating it by closing a power switch and entering his password, a customer uses it for drawing money from an ATM or paying by way of a store terminal in the same way as a prepaid card. In the Provisional Publication No. 94458, there is disclosed an electronic purse system equipped with store terminals identifying an IC card with a "bank key" provided therein, which is unique for each user and variable according to time passage.
However, there are still left various problems in the electronic purse system.
First, the time and place are limited for charging the IC card, that is, for revising the amount registered therein, because each IC card is to be charged by way of an ATM installed in each corresponding financial window.
Second, there is a risk of security information plagiary when the IC card is lost or stolen, because the conventional IC card, provided with a display and input-keys for entering the password or available amount, can be easily misused once the password is detected.
Third, the usage of the IC card is a little complicated, because the IC card is to be mounted to an ATM after being activated with its own password and then another password for the ATM must be input when it is charged, and when it is used for a payment at a store, it must be activated in advance by closing its power switch and entering the password.
Fourth, the IC card can not be used when its battery is discharged, because an IC card can not function without a power supply, disabling its new charging or even using the charged amount.